A long awaited plan to overhaul Mira Costa High school is nearing district approval.

The face-lift, nearly a decade in the making, calls for a new two-story math and science building and an open common area in the heart of the Manhattan Beach campus for student activities.

Plans for the so-called Mira Costa Master Plan have been developed by the Harvey Ellis Devereaux architecture firm and were submitted to the district’s Board of Education at a meeting Wednesday. Preliminary estimates have come in at a cost of $45.3 million and a timeline of just under four years. The school board is set to vote on the project later this month.

“The master plan is a framework,” said John Dale, a lead designer on the project. “There will be adjustments and tweaks as we proceed.”

The project to renovate the district’s lone high school was made possible by Measure BB, which was passed in November 2008 by 61.6 percent of voters. The measure called for the sale of $67.5 million in bonds for the Mira Costa project and to pay off earlier district debts.

Details of the project include:

A new, 58,000-square-foot, 19-classroom math and science building.

A central, open-air common area in the middle of campus.

Renovations to already existing classrooms on the school’s northern end and upgraded technology infrastructure throughout campus.

A new “career technical skills center” to replace the current maintenance and operations facility, which will be moved closer to Artesia Boulevard.

An expanded performing arts center and renovated cafeteria.

With the addition of the new math and science building, classes will be clustered according to subjects, much like a college campus. Buildings will be specifically designated for English, foreign languages, fine arts and social studies.

Additionally, a new parking lot off Meadows Avenue will be built. Although the proposed math and science building would impinge on the staff and student lot on Peck Avenue, the overall parking count would remain the same.

Mira Costa first opened its doors in 1950 and the district has long sought to fix the school’s aging facilities. In 2000, a $26 million bond measure – Measure M – was passed by 70.8 percent of voters specifically for upgrading Mira Costa, but the district ran out of money before any significant work could be done on a proposed performing arts center and library.

This time around, district officials established community oversight and steering committees to ensure money was spent according to the bond language. Designs and details of the project faced extensive public scrutiny by way of community oversight and steering committees.

“It’s been a real collaborative effort,” said board President Nancy Hersman. “We’re all on board with the project and very excited about it. We’re ready to move forward.”